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The 2020 ASA Award goes to Louis Colbert, who has spent four decades serving older adults in roles at area agencies on aging. The ASA Award is presented to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to aging-related research, administration or advocacy.
Louis Colbert is an extrovert with an infectious laugh, a matching sense of humor and genuine warmth. But underlying that engaging exterior lies a serious well of concern for older adults and an immense desire to help not just elders, but also professionals in the field of aging. As a child, Colbert watched his parents care for his grandparents and older neighbors, and it wasn't until he was midway through high school that he realized not everyone lived with a grandparent. "I have so many wonderful, positive memories, and it's all connected to my interest in this work," he says.
A Start in Senior Services
Colbert held his first field placement in 1976 at an area agency on aging (AAA) in his hometown of Media, Penn., while earning his Masters in Social Work from Temple University. He says he was lucky to be mentored by his young bosses, and there he developed an abiding love for working directly with older adults.
His first job out of graduate school was as a group services coordinator with the Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging. He spent two separate decade-long stints there, ending up as Director, managing multimillion-dollar budgets allocated from federal and state offices.
Colbert now serves as Senior Vice President of Operations...